building strategic alliances handbook for nonprofits

8/9/2019 Building Strategic Alliances Handbook for Nonprofits

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BUILDING STRATEG

ALLIANCES

A HANDBOOK FOR MOBILIZ

CONSERVATION VOICES


2/18

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-based inks.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Lead Author: Ben Long

Contributing Authors: Kevin Kirchner, Melinda Venable and Gaelen OConnell

Editors: Jennifer Roberts, Kim Curtis and Allison McCarty

Design and Production: Big Think Studios, San Francisco

Copyright 2010 by Resource Media

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or byany information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the

copyright holder.

This report was made possible with the support of the

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Published by:

Resource Media

325 Pacic Avenue, Third Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

415-397-5000

www.resource-media.org

Any opinions, ndings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the

authors and do not necessarily reect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support

for this project.

ABOUT RESOURCE MEDIA

Resource Media provides communications strategy and media services to

nonprots, foundations and others who are wor king to protect communities,

public health and the environment. We work closely with our partners to craft

and implement effective communication strategies designed to reach key

audiences and decision makers to build support for sound policies and practices.

Our Services

Public relations, communications consulting, crisis communications, media planning,

media outreach, message development, spokesperson coaching, digital media consulting

(social media, blogs & SEO), media audits, public opinion research

Our Ofces

San Francisco Seattle Bozeman Kalispell Boulder Sacramento Anchorage Salt Lake City Portland

contents

Methodology and Acknowledgments

I. OverviewII. Broadening Conservation Voices: More Critical Than Ever

III. Phase One: Laying the Groundwork for New Conversations

Step 1. Align Resources

Step 2. Foster an Internal Culture That Builds Bridges

Step 3. Match Strategies and Rhetoricto Bridge-Building Goals

Step 4. Identify Target Audiences for Individual Goals

IV. Phase Two: Mobilizing Conservation Voices

Step 1. Conduct a Strategic Assessment

Step 2. Find Common Ground

Step 3. Break the Ice

Step 4. Build the Relationship

Step 5. Set and Maintain Realistic Expectations

V. Phase Three: Tell the Story

Communication Strategies from Successful Partnerships

Building the Online Conversation

VI. Phase Four: Success!

VII. Case Studies

Protecting Valle Vidal in Northern New Mexico

Protecting Alaskas Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

Healthy Foods in San Francisco Bay Area Hospitals


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Pa I:Idi

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In recent years, some conservation groups made remarkable

progress building trust by reaching out to new constituen-cies and recruiting fresh conservation voices. This practice

has value that extends well beyond any given political

administration or the latest swing of the political pendulum.

Recruiting a broad array of voicesand by extension,

building the strategic relationships and alliances required to

engage those voicesis key to winning in the short term

and gaining credibility in the long term.

Even with the progress of recent years, more needs to

be done. In this handbook,Building Strategic Alliances , we

feature lessons learned by conservationists in the eld. Here

you will nd proven tactics and real life stories combined

with a step-by-step approach to help you succeed in your

outreach efforts and campaigns.

For a decade, Resource Media has helped environmental groups rec

and overcome a fundamental challenge: Earning the trust of the aud

they need to reach in order to succeed. Whether they are reaching o

skeptical county commission in rural Oregon, taking part in a rough

tumble hearing before a Congressional subcommittee, or trying to s

spending habits of consumers in a global marketplace, building trus

central element in the conservation equation.

This handbook is designed for:

Conservation groups that want to build s1. alliances with other constituencies, but

where to start, have been frustrated by p

or want to do it better.

Conservation funders looking to ma ke so2.

ments in activities, programs and campa

deliver near-term progress toward speci

while strengthening success over the lon

Mdlgy adAkwldgm

More than a century after President Theodore Roosevelt popularized the

concept of conservation, and 40 years after the rst Earth Day, Americans

share a widespread conservation ethic. Polls consistently reveal strong

support for protecting water, air and wildlife. However, translating that

ethic to effective policy remains a challenge. One lesson conservationists

have learned is they are more likely to succeed when the public voices

calling for stronger conservation policy reect a broad array of peoplenot

a narrow slice of environmentalists, their staffers and attorneys.

Mobilizing a broad voice for conservation is much easier

said than done. Resource Media and other communications

professionals have been urging conservationists to broaden

the face of environmentalism for a decade. We have been

impressed by the success of those who have taken this

advice to heart and done the hard work of implementing it.

Since success builds success, we wrote this handbook to

capture those success stories, glean the most relevant

nuggets of wisdom, and share that knowledge with others.

Building Strategic Alliances is a qualitative research

project based on systematic and in-depth interviews. First,

we sought out the conservation practitioners who have a

track record of successfully building partnerships and

mobilizing conservation voices. These folks work across a

range of conservation missions, from protecting wilderness

areas and endangered ecosystems, to nding urban trans-

portation solutions and stopping pollution. Second, we

sought out individuals of different constituenciespeople

who are not usually considered environmentalists, but who

have experience working with conservation campaigns.

These included ranchers, hunters and anglers, members of

ethnic and faith communities, scientists, and health care

professionals. We also sought insights from the funding

community, both staff of and advisors to grantmaking

foundations that deploy philanthropic dollars in support of

efforts to broaden the conservation movement.

Working with Kevin Kirchner, a veteran strategic

communications consultant who runs Centerpoint Commu-

nications, we conducted the interviews, mixed in insights

from Resource Media senior staffers, and compiled the

lessons learned.

In particular, we thank the Hewlett Foundation for

funding this project, and the many people who gave their

time in support of this work. The people quoted in this

report reect only a small portion of those who contributed

their time and ideas. We greatly appreciate their willingness

to do so, and moreover appreciate the smart, hard work

they do for land, water, air, wildlife and people.

Our issues are not only environissues; they are community issu

And when the community owns

win it. Tracy Stone-M

former Executive D

Clark Fork C


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4

That dynamic began to change with the public interest

movement that came to life in 1960s and 1970s. This new

movement brought landmark successes including ushering

in the nations rst comprehensive environmental protec-

tion laws. Simultaneously, this movement gave rise to

organizations with full-time environmental experts and

advocates who worked to meet the publics demand for

clean air, water and land.

Despite the victories won by these new organizations,

the growing presence of paid, professional staff has

revealed a down-side: some people began to view profes-

sional environmentalists as just another self-interested

special interest, or at least people with whom they shared

little in common. That perspective has been aggressively

advanced through negative branding campaigns by indus-

tries trying to block the policies promoted by public

interest groups. Public opinion research over the past years

conrms this trend: Over recent decades, American voters

have lost trust in government and large institutions. Awash

in stories of corrupt special interests and overwhelmed

trying to lter myriad sources of information, key blocks

of voters are leery of institutions that appear to represent

these special interests, including professional environmen-

tal organizations.

Rebuilding lost trust presents a s ubstantial challengeand a remarkable opportunity for advancing conservation

policies.

During the George W. Bush Administration, building

strategic alliances became more important than ever.

Between 2000 and 2008, faced with a challenging and even

Governors were Democrats and more than half the state

legislatures were controlled by Democrats.

But those who thought a new face and party in the

White House would turn opportunities a full 180 degrees

were soon proven wrong. Changes came, but proved more

incremental.

Efforts to broaden the face of the environmental

community should not be dictated by swings in political

power. The real purpose is to connect with and represent a

broad cross-section of Americans. Making those connec-

tions is necessary no matter who is in charge of the White

House, Congress or City Hall.

In fact, many Year 1 decisions made by the Obama

Administration were far from revolutionary, underscoring

the need to continue building a widely engaged conservation

movement. These decisions include appointing a centrist

Secretary of Interior and Undersecretary of Agriculture,

approving the removal of Rocky Mountain wolves from the

Endangered Species Act, allowing contested logging to

advance in Alaskas Tongass National Forest, and following

the Bush Administrations lead regarding Columbia Basin

salmon and dams.

Political winds are ckle and tempestuous. In short,

building coalitions and broadening conservation voices is

fundamental to success, not a luxury that goes in and out of

style. It should be done as forethought in any strategy, not

as an afterthought.

By partnering with farmers, ranchers, hunters, anglers,

ethnic communities, scientists, health professionals, the

faith community or other constituencies, conservation

groups achieve far more success than going it alone. Theycan prevent politicians and teams of industry lobbyists from

marginalizing environmental issues. More importantly,

together they can demonstratein a way that polls alone

never willthat protecting the environment is a value shared

and supported by a broad cross-section of Americans.

hostile political atmosphere, more and more environmental

groups saw the need to build relationships with new constitu-

encies. Recognizing the common ground they shared with

diverse members of their communities, and knowing that

strong allies make stronger armies, various groups made

relationship-building a more explicit part of their daily opera-

tions. For example, environmental groups have successfully:

Partnered with Native Americans, ranchers and hunters

to protect the Valle Vidal in northern New Mexico andMontanas Rocky Mountain Front.

Partnered with farmers, anglers and Native Americans

to remove three dams and help restore the Klamath

River Basin.

Partnered with the faith community to protect the

federal Endangered Species Act.

Worked with jewelers like Tiffany & Co. to reform

mining law and promote clean gold.

Partnered with budget hawks and taxation watchdogs

on everything from ghting nuclear plants to opposing

subsidized logging and inefcient transportationsystems.

After the 2008 elections, the political winds once again

shifted. The White House and Congress were controlled by

Democrats, who tend to be more sympathetic to conserva-

tion policies than Republicans. More than half the nations

PArt IIBadig

cvaiVi: M

ciial ta ev

A few decades ago, there was no such thing as a full-time environmentalist.

People spoke out on environmental issues aside from their regular roles as

teachers, scientists, outdoorsmen, farmers, physicians and parents.

In the following pages, well walk you thro

that will help you build new relationships with

more diverse conservation community. Weve

process down into four phases. Phase one focu

the groundwork for reaching out to new const

work includes assessing your groups resources

strategies.

LESSONS FROM THE FIELD

Asking a politician to support a pwithout demonstrating broad pusupport is asking for the imposs

Building relationships and allianbuilds political power. This can advance an entire conservation not just win campaigns.

Budget concerns are real, but limresources need not be insurmouobstacles to building strategic reships.

Tuning in does not mean cavingCompromise is often part of poprogress, but engaging in strategnerships can and should be donecompromising your mission or v

Groups that are good at strateginerships tend to be the groups wstrong leadership development levels.


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In phase two, well tell you about specic steps you can

take to get started building relationships with potential

partners. Phase three covers communication strategies to

help you tell your story to new constituencies, including

taking advantage of communication opportunities offered

by social networking platforms.

Finally, in phase four we share stories from four differ-

ent groups that have successfully built new coalitions by

using many of the strategies we describe in this handbook.

Before reaching out to potential partners, make sure your organizat

prepared for the effort involved in building strategic alliances. Take

time to assess your groups resources, internal culture, strategies and

The clearer you are about your own organizations abilities and need

more success youll have with mobilizing diverse conservation voice

your cause. The following four steps will put you on the path to pro

new partnerships.

STEp 1. ALIGN RESOURCES

Building relationships with other constituencies takes

timeand that translates to staff availability and money.

While building relationships generally increases the likeli-

hood of success, it can also take time away from other work.

Despite budget concerns, successful groups of all sizes put a

high priority on strategic alliances, recognizing that invest-

ing in building relationships is the most economical strategy

in the long run. In fact, some of the experts at relationship

building are shoestring organizations who see it as funda-

mental to their success.

STEp 2. FOSTER AN INTERNAL CULTURE

THAT BUILDS BRIDGES

Lets face it: many environmentalists enjoy a good ght.

It feels good to speak Truth to Power, to enter a righteous

battle against industrial Darth Vaders out to exploit theplanet and harm the helpless. Historically, environmental-

ists canonize individualists and iconoclasts, from Henry

Thoreau to Ed Abbey. But of course, the real world is

complicated and compromises are required to achieve even

pARTNERSHIp-BUILDING

FUNDAMENTALS

Listening to your partnersand nottrying to micromanage the message andagendais essential to fostering a suc-cessful relationship.

Start now. Waiting until the last minuteto engage new constituencies is morelikely to build resentment than trust.

Think long-term. Using and discardingpartners doesnt build bridgesit burns

them.

Clarity counts. Agreeing on a joint goalor mission statement ensures that every-one is on the same page and is a usefulorganizing vehicle.

Share the spotlight. There is a time tograb the microphone and a time to passit on.

Gnw c

the most idealistic goals. Taken too far, an u

culture can prove a serious obstacle to lasting

Make an honest assessment of your group

Every conservation group has its own identity

relish the role of being a gady or rebrand m

difcult time adopting the collaborative appr

for relationship-building and new constituenc

they are putting other relationships at risk by

one with you.

Reaching out to new constituencies may

group outside its comfort zone. Keep in mind

ing with other constituencies does not mean c

your organizations mission, goals or prioritie

ground and shared goalswhether with other

tal groups or other constituenciesare prere

strong working relationship. A major compon

internal culture boils down to leadership deve

cultivating capable people who can represent issue with a variety of outside audiences and w

stand how they t into overall strategy.


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STEp 3. MATCH STRATEGIES AND

RHETORIC TO BRIDGE-BUILDING GOALS

Conservation groups are judged by their words and

deeds. Advocacy tactics such as lawsuits and civil disobedi-

ence can be effective and make headlines, but they can also

create barriers to building relationships.

On the other hand, litigation or the fear of litigation

can provide a catalyst to bring some groups together.

Groups can have aggressive litigation strategies and still

build bridges to new constituencies, but litigation can make

building bridges a greater challenge. Before reaching out to

new constituencies, take a hard look at the strategies and

rhetoric your group is most known for. Effective groups

balance the costs and benets of all conservation tactics

over the long haul.

And even when communicating with your base, be

cautious about using extreme or bombastic rhetoric that

may alienate more people than it inspires. Well-crafted

messages inspire both the base of support and audiences

who are closer to the middle of the road.

STEp 4. IDENTIFy TARGET AUDIENCES FOR

INDIVIDUAL GOALS

Its human nature to want to draw attention to ones

good work. Its also good business to keep your customers

(funders, members and other supporters) apprised of your

efforts. But good teamwork includes keeping a low prole

when warranted. Good strategy involves knowing when to

take the spotlight and when to share it.

There is truth to Harry Trumans adage that the folkswho get things done are the ones who dont care about

getting credit. While taking credit where credit is due is

important, that should be secondary to the success of the

campaign. Being known as a winning group that delivers

results over time will be the best branding an organization

can hope for. Organizational ego, including striving to get

press attention, impress funders or compete with other

conservation groups, is one of the most commonly cited

reasons that alliances between environmental groups and

non-environmental groups dont work out.

Yet there are countless examples of campaigns, such as

the defeat of takings initiatives in Washington and Idaho

and the protection of the Wyoming Range, where the key

to success was that environmental groups played a support-

ive role while other constituencies took the lead in public.

When collaborating with other constituencies, develop

a sense for when its appropriate to take the public lead and

when prudence calls for a low prole. Sometimes its

strategically advantageous for your group to take the

spotlight. Generally, however, your impact will be stronger

when it is part of a diverse pro-conservation chorus.

At the same time, keep your key support network

volunteers, supporters, members and fundersup to speed

on your alliances and strategic relationships. Use your

newsletters, periodic updates and intra-membership

communication to explain to your base what you are doing

and why. Emphasize the payoff, not the collaboration.

Remember, a good relationship is worth more than a

single campaign. We spoke to conservationists who worked

on a wilderness campaign for a decade, yet were measured

and subdued during public celebrations when the bill

passed. Thats because they knew the relationships they

earned by allowing others to speak would help them advance

their next campaign. They dared not risk the appearance of

gloating.

Once the groundwork is done, its time to start building relationship

Political success is built on relationshipsthe ability to grow and ho

together coalitions. And that is the root of mobilizing conservation

If your organization wants to broaden the face of conservationwh

as part of your overall mission or on specic projectsthe following

have proven effective.

Which specic individuals and/or organi

be willing and able to work, or at least sta

tion with you?

Does your organization already have a relany of those individuals or organizations

need to start from scratch?

STEp 2. FIND COMMON GROUN

When seeking potential partners, look fo

values where you share common interests. Fo

smart growth group seeking to improve walkw

parks may nd common ground with educato

and church groups seeking to make their hom

and healthier for children. Farmers who use ri

irrigation and people who like to sh may sha

ogy groups concern over, say, invasive aquati

remember the rst law of strategic communic

people where they are.To learn more about an organizations in

values, look at their website, newsletters, fact

position papers and press clips. Conducting t

helps prioritize your outreach efforts so that y

spending time trying to partner with groups t

These tactics are designed to build real relationships and

alliances, not Astroturf campaigns. The non-environmental

group constituencies are not interested in being used and

then tossed aside by environmental groupsany more than

environmental groups want to be used by others.

STEp 1. CONDUCT A STRATEGIC

ASSESSMENT

Before initiating any outreach to non-environmental

group constituencies, conduct a strategic assessment to

determine whether building those alliances makes sense

and, if so, to identify potential partners. Include these

questions in your strategic assessment:

What are your goals and objectives?

Who are key decision-makers with the power to make

or break those goals and objectives?

Which demographic constituencies or interest groups

have the ear of those decision-makers?

Do you share goals or worldviews with any of these

constituencies?

Real respect does not come from thinking youcan rent one of our cowboys as a spokesperson.

It requires a partnership based on deeperunderstanding.

Kevin Williams,

Western Organization of Resource Councils


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or no interest in doing so. It also helps identify bridge

issues. Those are the specic shared interests that form the

basis of a solid partnership.

Last but not least, doing your homework shows poten-

tial partners that you care enough to take the time to learn

about what they do.

STEp 3. BREAK THE ICE

There are many ways to open the door to new relation-

ships and the best options depend on circumstances. Some

that have worked well for environmental groups are:

Turning to existing relationships (including your

membership, board members, and even spouses of staff)

to help create bridges to new constituencies.

Hiring a staff member who comes from those constitu-

encies or who has pre-existing relationships with those

constituencies.

Retaining consultants who work regularly with those

constituencies.

Putting representatives of some of the constituencies

on an Advisory Committee or even on your Board of

Directors.

Getting referrals from individuals or groups with whom

those constituencies already have a relationship.

Identifying members, donors or supporters who are

part of those constituencies and asking them to help

with the outreach.

Training staff members so that they are comfortable

and condent when they go into meetings with poten-

tial partner groups.

Joining the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or

other civic associations in the communities in which

you work. Attending meetings and participating in club

activities connects your organization and staff with

potential partners and demonstrates that you care

about the community.

Attending or hosting public meetings and forums, and

listening intently.

STEp 4. BUILD THE RELATIONSHIpS

Building relationships and strategic alliances takes time.One rancher we spoke to said he got cold stares from some

neighbors for years because of his work with conservation

groups. Although that chill gradually warmed, its clear that

patience and perseverance are required for this kind of

work.

The key to success is being on the ground,in the communities, developing andbuilding relationships and trust with

people and organizations that have acommon interest and shared goal. Itshows you are part of the community andnot outsiders. But its something thatenvironmental groups dont do enough of.

Warren Alford, Sierr a Forest Legacy

Its real hard work and can take

months or years, especially to bridgecultural divides and to build trust.

Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos

Its human nature to trust people who look, act and

think like us and distrust those who do not. Until someone

knows, likes and trusts you, they arent likely to partner with

you on a project or campaign. Its your job to convince

potential partners to look beyond preconceived notions

about you and your group so that they will be open to

exploring areas of common interest.

Building relationships involves playing up commonali-

ties and playing down differences. Its like going out on a

rst dateyou keep the conversation moving forward by

nding common ground.

Fortunately, in many cases initial distrust can be

overcome. Once youve identied potential partners, done

the background research and ensured that there is common

ground and a shared goal, you can begin the hard work of

building relationships. Here are some of the keys to success:

Prioritize.Relationship-building works best when itis done in the context of a specic policy issue or

project that the new constituency already cares about.

Make sure there is an obv ious connection between the

issue or project and the constituency. Dont expect

positive results if you ask a rural electric co-op to

support an urban wastewater treatment or brownelds

reclamation campaign without an obvious link.

When reaching out to new constituencies, startwith common ground and build up fromthere.

James Honey,

Sustainable Northwest

BUILDING ALLIANCES FOR CL

WATER

In December 2002, Amigos Bravenvironmental and social justicezation in New Mexico, initiatedClean Water Circuit Rider ProgThis program assists communitithe state in using the Clean Watto restore polluted river systemswith future pollution. The Circuhelps local ofcials, grassroots ortions and the public make sense

Clean Water Acts complex techand regulatory language. When cnities request assistance, the CirRider meets with interested partpublic meetings to hear local conand explains which aspects of thWater Act might be most helpfuin concert with Amigos Bravos network of technical and legal reand input from the community, Circuit Rider helps develop and ment an appropriate strategy foraddressing the communitys issupoint is, Amigos Bravos didnt gcommunities telling them what tproblem was; rather, they listenecommunities nding where theiests overlapped, then provided rto help achieve common goals.

Dont obsess about trying to build relation-ships with everyone. Focus on people or orga-nizations that have a direct interest in the

same issues and that share a common goalwith you.

Justin Hayes, Idaho Conservation League


8/1812

Listenrst. Check your organizational ego andenvironmental zeal at the door. Listen to their per-

spective, their interests and goals and the role they are

interested in playing. Nothing blows up a potential

partnership faster than an environmental group trying

to dictate the terms of the relationshipwhether it is

roles, goals or messages. Theres value to that old adage

of strategic communication: meet people where they

are.

Startearly.Reaching out to potential allies a nd new

constituencies should start early in the campaign or

even before a specic campaign takes root. Most

non-environmental constituencies, like their environ-

mental and conservation group counterparts, have an

internal decision-making process that can take weeks

or months.

Setupface-to-facemeetings.Building relation-

ships with people who dont yet know, like or trust you

cant be done from the comfort of your ofce. Face-to-

face contact takes more time, can be more expensive if

it involves travel and may push you out of your comfort

zone. But its the only way to do it r ight.

Startwithsmallsteps.You might have coffee orlunch with one or two loca l members of a Rotary Club

before addressing the entire boa rd or membership.

Being introduced by one of the family is a wonderful

way to open doors.

Connectlike-mindedpeople.When trying to

build a relationship with ranchers, you may be more

likely to succeed if y our organizations spokesperson

has a ranching background. Likewise, its often helpful

to have a spokesperson with strong religious convic-

tions meet with the faith communitythey are more

likely to have a pre-existing afnity and speak the

same language. Bottom line:Match the audience with the

spokesperson.

Developajointmissionorgoalsstatement.

Consider working with your new partners to develop a

joint mission or goals statement. This can provide a

framework for the partnership throughout the cam-

paign and can serve as an organizing vehicle as the

campaign moves forward. (For an example, see the

Valle Vidal core values statement on page 22.)

Considersettingupadecision-m

processtoensuretrustandinclu

other words, be up front about how decis

made. For example, decide who has to ch

press release or op-ed before issuing it to

fortable surprises.

Committothelongterm. Look beyspecic project or campaign and conside

maintain the relationship over time.

Dontstrayfromthecommongr

issues make teamwork possible. Since yo

to agree on every issueeven conservatio

dont see eye-to-eye on everythingfocu

bridge issues and stay away from topics t

you apart.

Givebeforeyouget.Find out what

partner needs and consider how you can

it. You should have some ideas in mind b

strategic assessment and background res

critical to be exible based on their view

and on the scope and nature of the relati

We cant just sign onto anything that comesacross our desk. It has to be circulated throughthe Steering Committee, the science has to berock solid and it has to be consistent with ourissue priorities.

Lucia Sayre, Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility

Most environmental groups, especiallyat the national level, want to controlthe agenda and message. They see theworld through this lens: Were tryingto save the world, so you should helpus. And they dont seem to understandthat the Latinos and other constituen-cies are working on lots of their ownstuff, too. In addition to clear environ-mental justice issues, the enviros that

have found success among minoritygroups are those that blended theiragenda with ours. Examples includeparks, urban greening, urban waterconservation and recycling infrastruc-ture and so on.

Antonio Gonzalez, Southwest Voter

Registration Education Project

Its very difcult to build trust withoutlistening. Environmental groups dontalways listen well to the otherconstituents needs and desires.

Jill Lancelot, Taxpayers for Common Sense

You cant just build the relationship with arancher, a shing group or anyone else, drop it

and expect to be able to come back to them inthe future.

Cat Lazaroff, Defenders of Wildlife

Both sides learned a lot from each other, and getting to knowindividuals was the key. Once you took away the titles and had

everyone in the same room, we found that we all wanted thesame basic thingwhats best for the land.

Karl Rappold, Montana Rancher, speaking about

the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front


9/1814

Offertodothegroundwork.Many of yourconstituencies wont have the time or skil ls to do

things like writing background materials and develop-

ing talkin g points. You can make it easier for them to

participate in the campaign by offering to prepare rst

drafts. But be sure to give them an opportunity to put

anything you write into their own words so that they

feel ownership of it.

Be willing to stay behind the scenes, ifthatsthebeststrategy.A conservationist may

be a great spokesperson for some audiences, but a

conversation-stopper for others. You may need to give

up some control for the sake of a larger good. Its better

to have a rock-solid spokesperson and a good message than a

poor spokesperson and a rock-solid message. Of course, the

goal is to match high credibility with a nely calibrated

message.

Incrementallyexpandthecomfortzone.Everyone has a role they a re comfortable in. The

challenge is to coach spokespeople to push beyond that

to be more effective. Start where the spokesperson has

total control over the message say an ad or letter to

the editor. After the spokesperson is comfortable with

the message and publicity, gradually introduce speak-

ing roles such as visits to editorial boards, news

conferences or elding interviews. Be incremental and

supportive each step.

Startwithaneasyask.Then keep peopleadvancing by incrementally increasing the degree of

difculty. A new spokesperson may be most comfort-

able with a letter to the editor where they can careful ly

smith each word. Thats ne. Next time, encourage the

spokesperson to write an op-ed. Then include them in

a two-on-one cal l with a reporter. Then a conference

call. Then have them help lead a news conference or

media eld tour. At each stage, review the press

coverage with them and learn from the process.

Knowwhentokeepyourdistance.In some

cases, important constituencies can be most effective

if they are not publicly alig ned with environmental and

conservation groups. Even if you have common ground

and shared goals, there may be cases when your

constituencies will be more effective operating on

their own rather than appearing on joint letters and

press releases. Groups can work strategically together

even if there is no public display of affection. In some

situations, the best thing for professional environmen-

talists to do is to stay out of the li melight altogether.

STEp 5. SET AND MAINTAIN REALISTIC

ExpECTATIONS

Sound relationships arent established overnight. If you

maintain realistic expectations for the relationship-building

process, youll be less likely to experience frustration when

obstacles arise and more likely to succeed in the end.

Bepatient.As weve said before, building relation-ships takes time. For some groups, the initial buy-in is

easy, but getting approval on key decisions during the

campaign takes much longer. For others, it takes

longer to build the relationship and trust on t he front

end, but once thats in place, work can proceed quickly.

Patience is key. The more ambitious the campaign, t he

more time it will take to develop relationships neces-

sary to succeed.

Sharemessagedevelopment.Message control

and discipline are essential in any campaign. But dont

expect other constituencies to parrot your talking

points. Most of them wont do it and theyd be less

credible if they did. The primary benet of partnering

with non-environmental constituencies is that they

can support the same policy goal s from a different

perspective. So, work with your part ners to put their

talking points in the context of their values and the

issues they care about.

This is very important: Only ask peopleto talk about their own area ofexpertise. Dont ask a minister to talk

about scientic data or a scientist totalk about faith unless they have abackground and expertise in thoseissues.

Suellen Lowry, Noah Alliance

If youre meeting with hunters, focus onhabitat. While I am a hunter myself, if youare opposed to trophy hunting, keep that toyourself. Work on areas of agreement andavoid subjects that may only serve to divide.

Scott Hed, Sportsmens Alliance for Alaska

A sign-on letter with just sportsmens groupsalone is far more effective than doing onejointly with mainstream environmentalgroups.

Mike Beagle,

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Proceedattherightpace.Keep in

people and organizations representing ot

encies often face the same kinds of inter

external pressures as you do. For example

who joins with environmentalists to stop

drilling might be ostracized by his neigh

sensitive to what youre asking them to d

long it may take them to do itespeciall

involves taking a public position. In shor

sacrice a long-term relationship for a sh

Supporttheirwork. Partnerships arstreets. You cant expect other constitue

there for your campaigns if you arent wi

support some of their campaigns. Their i

not be a priority for your organization, b

cases, your issues arent a priority for the

doesnt mean you have to work on all the

as they dont have to work on all of you rs

to requests for help.


10/1816

PArt VPa t:tll sy

coMMunIcAtIon strAteGIes froM successfuL PArtnershIPs

When working with your non-environmental group partners, there are

many tools for communicating to the media and target audiences. These

include press releases, press conferences, action alerts, editorial board

meetings and more. This section of theBuilding Strategic Alliances handbook

highlights a few of the more innovative communications tactics used by

partnerships between environmental groups and other constituencies.

Takingtotheairwaves.The Western Organiza-

tion of Resource Councils (WORC) has a recording

studio in Billings, Mont., from which they produce

public service announcements, commentaries and

longer-form programs that are made available to radio

stations across the West. WORC uses radio to pro-

mote understanding and respect for different perspec-

tives and build stronger public relationships.

Emphasizingtrainingandcoachingofother

organizations.Many organizations invest a great

deal of time and resources training their own staff as

well as staff from part ner constituencies on both the

message and working with the media. Its seen as an

important part of making sure the non-conservation

group partners feel ownership of the talking points.Amigos Bravos staff went even further by participat-

ing in a training session conducted by the Navajo

Nation so that they would better understand how

American Indians think about and approach their

shared issues.

Diversifyingeditorialboardvoices. The

Greater Yellowstone Coalition conducts mock edito-

rial board visits with its par tners. In one case, they

connected a business owner, hunter and hiker for a

meeting with the local paper. The train ing session

helped participants feel comfortable and condent

going into the meeting and it resulted in a strong

editorial. That was good for the campaign and it

provided positive feedback for the three participants.

Seeing their efforts pay off made them more wil ling to

help out in the future.

Reachingoutdirectlytopolicymakers.The

Noah Alliance, a parachurch that fo cuses on conser-

vation, has recruited and trained loca l scientists, faith

leaders and environmentalists for more than 140in-district meetings with their Congressional repre-

sentatives. The Alliance provides background materi-

als to the participants, works with them individually to

develop talking points, trains them jointly, so that

everyone knows and is comfortable with their respec-

tive roles, schedules the meeting with the member of

Congress, coordinates all of t he meeting logistics and

conducts a debrieng sessions afterwards.

Buildingbridgesacrossthecountry.TheWestern Organization of Resource Councils ( WORC)

brought environmental leaders from the East Coast to

spend a week on working ranches in Montana. Its goal

was more to promote understanding and respect for

their respective perspectives than to build specic

relationships.

BUILDING THE ONLINE CONVER SATION

Social network platforms like Facebook and Twitter

offer new ways to communicate with and mobilize constitu-

encies. Web 2.0 platforms allow advocates to tell stories

directly to thousands of people, bypassing traditional

information gatekeepers such as reporters and editors. They

also help feed stories in the mainstream media, as reporters

spend more and more time mining blogs for stories and

issues to cover.

While social networks may be less useful for establish-

ing an initial relationship with non-environmental constitu-

encies, they can be used to help expand those relationships

over time and to leverage those relationships into action.

And once a partnership exists, social networking tools can

help attract and organize more supporters from all of your

constituencies.

Conservationists can use the latest social networkingtools like Facebook and Twitter to build strategic new

alliances and engage spokespeople in several ways. By and

large, groups we investigated had dabbled in social network-

ing mediafor example creating fan pages on Facebook

but no one felt they had mastered this emergi

evolving medium. One trend emerged: Just lik

communications approaches, succeeding in to

tive Web 2.0 environment is not automatic

requires savvy and dedicated effort. This mus

in to the overall budget and campaign plan.

Here are some tips gleaned from our inte

conservationists who use social networking to

Findyouraudience.Use social netwnew members of your target audience wh

pro-conservation. Recommended netwo

with include the popular and growi ng Tw

Facebook platforms. Think of these netw

virtual farmers market where youre sell

goods that you know are popular among

percentage of the consumer crowd. You

nd them and then use the right marketi

positioning so they buy your apples, not t

supermarket.

Facebook:Use the search feature atright-hand side of Facebooks user inte

type in an appropriate keyword or key

can also search posts made by fr iends

Facebook. Or narrow down results by

sub-search within the pages and/or

sections.

Twitter: At w ww.Search.Twitter.com

keywords to nd the most current Twtions. To nd potential inuencers (th

followings who more frequently twee

keyword topic), search for your keywo

www.twellow.com, a yellow pages data


11/1818

Twitter accounts. Or follow Mr. Tweet (www.

mrtweet.com), a Twitter service that frequently

recommends other Twitter users you could connect

with. Or search the Hashtags directory (www.

hashtags.org) for popular hashtags associated with

your keywords that others may be using.

Startlistening.Once youve found members withconservation sensibilities, listen to the conversations

taking place and observe the virtual culture. What are

the conversation trends and tones? Who are the

frequently contributing conversation leaders? Who

causes controversy or has unpopular opinions? Once

youve gotten a feel for the community, participate by

showing its members how you ca n help them. Dont be

afraid to ask questions and always provide value by

adding helpful ideas and resources to the conversation,

such as links to relevant articles or blogs. Focus on

building genuine, long-term relationships that can be

primed at later times when conservation voices need to

be mobilized.

Identifyspokespeople.You can also use social

networks like Facebook to help identify individual

spokespeople to communicate with the mainstream

media. For example, the Wilderness Society wanted to

promote protecting national forests from off-road

vehicle abuse. Resource Media, through our Facebook

contacts, noticed a posting from an irate Colorado

hiker who had posted images of a mountain meadow

trashed by off-road vehicles. Through Facebook, werecruited that hiker and helped translate his experi-

ence into a newspaper column.

Matchyourtacticswithyourtarget.Investi-gate your target decision-makers to determine how

much they rely on social media. For exa mple, in a

recent campaign in Montana, Resource Media sur-

veyed the media appetites of t wo key decision-makers:

a U.S. Senator and a Congressman. We found the

Congressman was wiredhe was addicted to his

BlackBerry and actively fostering Facebook conversa-

tions on conservation topics. The Senator, conversely,

used traditional media (although presumably his staff

was more connected to social media). This suggested

different tactics for reaching these two key targets.

Lets say your organizations cause is savingour worlds oceans and enforcing existingprotected marine areas. How can you usesocial networks to mobilize voices to supportyour cause? After doing searches on key-words like oceans and protection, per-haps you nd yourself focusing on two onlineinterest groups that you hadnt been aware of.One is an online community of people inter-ested in sharks and the other is a forum forscuba divers. Both groups have dedicatedblogs, Facebook pages and Twitter followers.

When you start listening to these groupsonline conversations, you nd the formertalking about ways to protect sharks andother marine life vital to maintaining thesharks ecosystems. The latter group dis-cusses coral reefs that are home to exotic shthey like to observe in recreational deep-seadives. Although these groups have differentfocuses, you could join their conversationsand start building bridges that connect themto each other and to your cause. By tappinginto what these groups care about most, youcan help them see the correlation between

their passions and the need for healthy seas.

Social networks like Facebook fostdynamic, wide-reaching communitanyone can contribute to. Your mein these environments should relatdirectly to the common interests aof the groups you are targeting. Thmean nding common ground thatshark lovers and recreational diverssupport, such as protecting a particbeautiful and rare sh species that with coral reefs and depends on ecothat also support sharks.

Using social networks to recruit prservation voices is very different fradvertising and needs to be conducorganically and transparently. Appemutual interests and nding comm

ground will help you build the relatyou need to succeed.

USING SOCIAL NETWORKS TO BUILD ALLIANCES


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PVida

The insights weve offered in this handbook arent theoretical tactics.They are proven strategies that conservation groups are successfully using

to rally new voices in support of their campaigns and goals. The rest of

this handbook features four success stories that help bring some of these

strategies to life.

In northern New Mexico, a coalition of diverse voices

came together to stop a fast-track drilling proposal

from destroying their beloved Valle Vidal. Individuals

from non-environmental constituencies took on key

leadership and spokesperson roles and the coalition

developed a joint values statement that proved to be an

effective tool for drawing non-environmental constitu-encies to the campaign.

In Bristol Bay, Alaska, native Alaskans and local

business leaders started speaking out about a proposal

to site a huge open pit mine in the heart of the worlds

biggest salmon shery. Before long, these two groups

were joined by other constituencies, including sher-

men and hunters, to form a powerful coalition of local

people who have the most to lose if the mine goes

forward.

In the rural West, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has

grown in ve years from seven founding members to

1,200 members in 45 states. While BHA has received

informal staff support from environmental groups and

some small conservation grants, its remarkable achieve-

ments must credited to the compelling voices of its

hunter and angler members who use a variety of venuesto speak out for preserving wilderness.

And nally, in the San Francisco Bay area, an unlikely

coalition of physicians and farmers have joined forces

to bring healthier, tastier food to hospital kitchens, an

effort that also supports local family farms and

promotes a cleaner environment. The campaign was

built on four key organizing strategies described in this

handbook: conducting research, building relationships,

engaging partners and managing the relationships.

PArt VIPa f:

s!

FOCuSINGONShaREDCOREvaLuES

Long before New Mexicos Valle VidalSpanish for Valley of Life

dedicated as a unit of the Carson National Forest in 1985, it was use

generations of ranchers, Boy Scouts, hunters, anglers, photographer

others attracted by its spectacular beauty and abundant wildlife. So

no surprise that these and others joined forces when El Paso Corpo

one of the nations biggest drilling companies, proposed a massive c

methane drilling operation inside Valle Vidal.

What was perhaps surprising was that they prevailed so

overwhelmingly. They blocked the Bush Administrations

attempt to fast-track the drilling proposal and then got

Congress to enact legislation permanently protecting the

Valle Vidal from drilling. This is how they did it.

The Coalition for the Valle Vidal was founded by

Amigos Bravos and a small number of other partners in

2004. They formed a core executive committee early on to

provide leadership, communications, legal, fundraising and

organizing capacity. The executive committee proved

essential to keeping the campaign organized and moving

forward.

It was clear from the start that this would not be a typi-

cal environmental protection campaign. Among the initial

founders was Alan Lackey, a rancher from Raton who knew

the Valle Vidal like the back of his hand. Alan and severalother individuals from non-environmental constituencies

were given a leadership and key spokesperson role in the

Coalition. By coupling non-environmental voices with

environmental voices, the Coalition was able to build trust,

credibility and receptivity to its messages both in the

media and with elected ofcials at the local, s

federal levels.

The Coalition picked a clear campaign go

leasing/drilling, periodwhich provided a ra

and allowed non-environmental and environm

stituencies to put aside their differences to g

enemy. They also developed a core values stat

work product from a public meeting on the is

organizing tool to engage non-environmental

cies in the campaign.

The steering committee hired two separ

outreach coordinatorsone for sportsmen (O

son), and one for everyone else, including loc

(Jim ODonnell). One of their key duties was

signatories on the core values statement. It w

they had generated a strong base of local suppranchers, outtters, hunters, anglers, local of

others that they began adding traditional env

groups as a complement to the campaign.

In short, this was a unied, across-the-bo

upwelling of support for protecting northern


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values. It ultimately included more than 400 businesses,

Chambers of Commerce, community groups, local govern-

ments and other organizations from around the state.

The Coalition also applied its local rst organizing

approach to its media outreach and the two reinforced one

another. Generating stories and editorials in northern New

Mexico newspapers helped generate support from northern

New Mexico lawmakers. Having the support of northern

New Mexico lawmakers helped generate more stories in the

local press. That, in turn, led to better press coverage at the

state and, later, national level. The core values statement

and the ever growing number of signatorieswas a focal

point for the Coalitions messaging: hundreds of local

governments, ranchers, sportsmen, businesses and conser-

vationists want the Valle Vidal protected from coalbed

methane development.Many other factors also contributed to the Coalitions

success, including:

Use of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests

and other legal tools to demonstrate that the Cheney

Energy Task Force was pushing to open the Valle Vidal

for El Paso Corporation. In so doing, they were also

able to tap into local resentment with outsiders

meddling in New Mexico land issues.

Convincing Gov. Bill Richardson to support the effort

and to use his authority to designate the rivers and

streams of the Valle Vidal as an Outstanding National

Resource Water under the Clean Water Act.

By late 2006, the broad-based, grassroots momentum

built by the Coalition over the prior two years was

overpowering and Congress passed the Valle Vidal

Protection Act by unanimous consent in both the U.S.

Senate and House of Representatives.

EMPOwERINGPEOPLETODEFENDwhaTThEyPRIzE

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire community to p

the environment. And thats just what is happening in and around B

Bay, Alaska. Native Alaskans, commercial and sport shermen, and

area business leaders and elected ofcials have joined together to sto

proposal that would put one of the worlds biggest open pit mines

biggest toxic waste sitessmack in the middle of the worlds bigges

salmon shery.

Sometimes its the environmental and conservation groups,those whose primary mission is protecting our land, air and

water, that reach out to other constituencies to broaden the

face of a campaign or cause. But in Bristol Bay, it was those

other constituenciesthose who live in the area and have

the most at stake if the mine is builtwho took the rst

steps and are leading the ght against the Pebble Mine.

The proposed Pebble Mine would sit in the shadow of

Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks and in the headwa-

ters of Bristol Bay, an area where wild salmon runs and

other renewable natural resources contribute more than

CORE VALUES

The Valle Vidal of New Mexico is a national treasure,

beloved by sportsmen, ranchers, outtters and guides,

local business, concerned citizens, outdoor enthusiasts

and conservation groups. In accord with the Valle

Vidals inherent beauty and value, we believe the

following:

The Valle Vidals watersheds are of paramount

value, and its waters the lifeblood of the lands

wildlife and our communities;

The Valle Vidal is a vital resource to a sustainable future for northern New Mexicos rural and

agricultural communities;

The Valle Vidal provides unique recreational and

sporting opportunities for families, hunters,

anglers, boy scouts and other outdoor enthusiasts;

The Valle Vidal provides a home for abundant

wildlife populations and holds intrinsic ecological

importance and scenic beauty;

The Valle Vidal should be managed for the benet

of the peopleall of the people.

Based on these values, we believe that it is a grave

mistake to exploit this special place for the principal

benet of the energy industry. Consequently, the Valle

Vidal should be closed to energy leasing and develop-ment and thereby protected for the benet of present

and future generations of all Americans.

Endorsed by (as of July 2004):

$400 million a year to Alaskas economy. Thehome to many Alaskan Native tribes whose f

depended on its bounty for subsistence hunti

for countless generations.

According to documents led with the St

by its proponents, Pebble Mine would rip rel

grade gold, copper and molybdenum from a m

open-pit mine that, including related facilitie

30 square miles and ll nearby valleys and lake

than 2.5 billion tons of toxic mining waste beh

gigantic earthen dams. To make matters wors

area sits right on top of one of Alaskas most

quake zones.

The Pebble Mine was little more than a t

developers eyes for most of the past 25 years.

started getting serious in 2002 when CanadiaNorthern Dynasty Minerals, which acquired

claims a year earlier, began exploring the site

Though the state lands on which the mine wo

had been zoned for wildlife habitat since 1984

changed that classication to mineral lands

I cant imagine a worse location for a

mine of this type unless it was in mykitchen.

Former Alaska Gov. Jay Hammond


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24

importantly, Northern Dynastys mining claims were

in-holdings within areas selected by Native Alaskans under

the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

It was Northern Dynastys initiation of serious explora-

tion in 2002 that jump-started local opposition to the mine.

In 2003, eight Bristol Bay area Native corporations began

meeting to discuss the impacts of the proposed mine on

subsistence hunting and shing. For the rst several years,

they operated under a joint memorandum of understanding.

When that proved too unwieldy, they formed Nunamta

Aulukestai, which means Caretakers of the Land in

Yupik, a nonprot organization whose board of directors

includes representatives of each of the eight village corpora-

tions.

Local businesses that promote and serve the regions

unparalleled sport and commercial shing industries alsogot together when Northern Dynasty began its mining

exploration and, in 2005, formed the Renewable Resources

Coalition to preserve and protect the ongoing viability of

Alaskas abundant shing and hunting resources and the

lands and waters they need to survive.

Both groups worked closely with organizations like

Alaskans for Responsible Mining, Trout Unlimited and

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. In 2007, Nunamta

Aulukestai, the Renewable Resources Coalition and a

handful of other groups and individuals formed the Bristol

Bay Working Group, a loose umbrella organization to

better coordinate and communicate about their respective

efforts to stop the Pebble Mine.

While the campaign to protect Bristol Bay and stop the

Pebble Mine is still in its early stagesthe mining compa-nies are not expected to le their development plans until

sometime in 2010the efforts of the Renewable Resources

Coalition, Nunamta Aulukestai, the Bristol Bay Working

Group and others have made signicant progress in educat-

ing Alaskans about the disastrous impacts of the mine.

Thats no small feat in a state that has rarely seen a mine

that it didnt embrace. Moreover, Bristol Bay area residents

now oppose the mine by more than a 4:1 margin.

Some of the tactics being used by the groups include:

Publiceducation communicat ing with Alaskans

both through direct outreach and through the media.

Organizing generating resolutions in opposition to

the mine from affected organizations and communities.

Legislation working with state legislators to ensure

protection of the Bristol Bay watershed.

Litigation ensuring that state agencies and the

mines proponents fully comply with all applicable lawsand regulations governing public participation and

protection of the states lands and natural resources.

Corporateresponsibility educating jewelers about

the impacts of the Pebble Mine, and educating chefs

and consumers about the importance of Bristol Bay for

wild salmon.

This campaign was neither initiated nor implemented

by environmental groupsand that is critically important

in a state where environmental groups, especially those

from outside, are often viewed as the enemy. This is a

campaign whose roots are planted rmly among those who

have the most to lose if the Pebble Mine goes forward,

although the resolutions, press releases, lawsuits and

legislation are all critically important elements of thecampaign. The following letter to the editor from Petla

Noden, a Yupik Native from Curyung (Dillingham), sums

up not just whats at stake, but why the voices of these

constituencies are the key to success.

My Lttr to th editor by Ptla nod July 13, 2009

Waqaa. Hello. Quyana, thank you, for hearing the message I bring to you today. I am a Yupik Native from Curyung, the tow

Dillingham in Bristol Bay. My Yupik name is Puciqaq, and my English American name is Petla Noden.

I am here today to speak the truth about the importance of protecting the land and rivers that give us life. More specically, I

talk about the importance of protecting Bristol Bay against the threat posed by the proposed Pebble Mine. To speak the truth of

to you, I must rst speak to you about my family.

I am the youngest of ve children born to Mary Ann and Danny Noden. My mom is from Portage Creek, a small shing villag

the Nushagak River that sits below Ekwok, New Stuyahok and Koliganek. My dad is from Snag Point, now called Dillingham, wh

at the mouth of the Nushagak, a river that drains into Bristol Bay. I have three sisters, a brother, eight nephews and two nieces. W

close and love each other very much, along with all our close relatives. Our lives are woven together through our subsistence lifesty

Ever since I can remember, we have been working with shcatching sh, cleaning sh, cutting sh, hanging sh, smoking

sh, canning sh, drying sh, baking sh, salting sh, pickling sh, fermenting sh, freezing sh, boiling shand never running o

We never had much money growing up, but our freezer was always packed with moose, caribou, sh, ducks, geese, beaver, porcupries, salmon berries, cranberries, blackberries, special plants and other vegetation used for aqutak, soups, teas and medicine.

There were times growing up, when some of the kids would tease us because we didnt have a lot of money, and they would ca

And I believed them. But looking back today, I know they were wrong. We never did run out of sh. Not once. We always had sh

always soooo good, even though we had it just about every night.

Some of my fondest thoughts are of those days when relatives come over to have tea and visit and the whole family sits aroun

for no other reason but to eat Native foods and tell stories. The most memorable joy in my childhood was sitting with my family a

relatives listening to the stories of hunting or shing or just funny stories of the past and eating our Native foods with plenty of sea

The truth is that hunting, shing, and gathering from the land and rivers, is our identity as a people. It is who we are. It is our

The land and rivers are always ready to give us what we need to survive, regardless of the season. In the spring we have fresh ducks

the summer we have fresh sh, moose and berries. In the fall we have walrus. In the winter we go caribou hunting and ice shing. T

rivers love and nourish us and we must return the favor.

To me, the earth is a living organism. The earth has created every living thing under the sun. The earth is 70 percent water

bodies. It breathes in and out once a year with the seasons. The rivers and streams are the arteries and capillaries of the earth. The

nourishes the Nushagak and Kvichak, the plants and animals and the people with sh and clean water, the way a vein nourishes a p

body with much needed oxygen and nutrients.

As a people, we have no choice but to stand up and protect our land and our rivers. Good, clean water is the very foundati

people and of the plants and animals of Bristol Bay. Every living thing on this planet requires good, clean water.


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hELPINGORGaNIzEaKEyCONSTITuENCy

In the rural West, hunting and shing are integral parts of the socia

Historically, hunters like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold led

ght to protect Americas wilderness. But in recent decades, hunter

support for wilderness has waned and even turned into resistance.

My Lttr to th editor by Ptla nod, cotiud Pag 2

But the Pebble Partnership plans to dig the largest hole in North America, sucking the salmon streams dry at the headwaters of the two

most productive salmon spawning streams on planet earth: the Koktuli and Upper Talarik, which drain into the Nushagak and Kvichak

Rivers. According to an October 2004 report from Northern Dynasty Minerals, Inc., which is one of two corporations involved in the

Pebble Partnership, building the mine would most likely necessitate construction of a toxic tailings lagoon covering almost 20 square miles.

According to a Sept. 2007 article in the LA Times, getting at the relatively low-grade deposits of gold, copper and molybdenum necessi-

tates the removal of 12 billion tons of dirt. This simple mechanical, non-chemical process alone would expose suldes in the earth to air and

water making sulfuric acid.

In addition to this, the proposed Pebble Mine has the potential to release release arsenic, cyanide and heavy metals such as lead,

cadmium, zinc and mercury, which kill sh and can cause human health problems such as cancer and neurological damage.

The threat to our subsistence and our people in the coming years alone is too much to risk if the Pebble Mine is built. But who will be

responsible for taking care of this toxic mess 75 years in the future when our grandchildren are reaching adulthood and the Pebble

Partnership has exploited the land to its last ounce of metal, and left?We are responsible for preventing this toxic mess from happening now for the sake of our grandchildren and future generations. The

proposed Pebble Mine threatens our clean water, our plants and animals, our rivers and streamsour whole ecosystem and way of life.

Anglo American and Northern Dynasty, which are the British and Canadian companies in the Pebble Partnership, make promises and

a handful of jobs, hand out money and make more promises while they try to convince us that red is blue. But if we allow them to go

forward with their plan, we will be left with nothing but a big hole in the earth that you can see from space. No more sh, ducks, geese,

moose, caribou or aquatic life. Nothing but a big hole in the ground and a toxic lake that nothing can survive in. Then the mining compa-

nies will be gone out of state, counting their money and destroying more land and rivers. These mining companies must be stopped. We

have to take the right steps to stop these foreign mining companies before its too late.

There is too much going on today alreadywhat with global warming, warming of the oceans and the dangers of global pollutants in

the oceansfor us to pose greater risk to the earths last great sheries. We cant risk destroying our land and rivers that created usnot

for money, not for jobs. It is said that this earth does not belong to us, we belong to this earth. We are the children of the earth. We cannot

turn around and stab it in the heart.

Allowing the Pebble Partnership to go through with their plans would be giving the earth a cancerous tumor, a deadly disease of the

land and rivers that would affect everything in the food chain, from small insects that juvenile salmon eat, to bears that eat the salmon and

everything else.

Please join me in my ght against Pebble. Our future and the fate of Bristol Bay depends on the decisions we make today. Lets ensure

that our grandchildrens grandchildren can live happy and healthy lives here in the great land. Quyanaqfaah! And thank you very much!

In 2004, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers formed around an

Oregon campre to reclaim that sportsmens wilderness

heritage. Over the next ve years, Backcountry Hunters &

Anglers grew from seven founding members to 1,200

members in 45 states. BHA has become a nationally

recognized voice for preserving large blocks of habitat, butit faces signicant growing pains as it seeks its path.

Nonetheless, BHA reects how a neglected constitu-

ency can be organized into an effective force, harnessing

passionate voices that were previously silent.

There are many sportsmens conservation groups, each

with its own niche. For example, Trout Unlimited focuses

on conserving coldwater sheries and Ducks Unlimited pro-

tects wetlands. BHAs niche evolved to be protecting large

pieces of wildlife habitat, including wilderness and roadless

areas, and stopping the abuse of public land by off-road

vehicles. This narrow focus allows it to take a stronger

stand on controversial topics than other, more broadly

dened organizations.

As Ken Rait, campaign director of Campaign for

Americas Wilderness said, The success or failure of thewilderness movement in the northern Rockies is signi-

cantly bolstered by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

BHA members from across the country have spoken

out for preserving wilderness in a variety of venues, from

letters to the editor, to meeting with agency ofcials and

local elected ofcials, to tabling at sportsmen

In 2007,Field & Stream Magazine named BHA

Brian Maguire its Conservation Hero for gh

Oregons Mount Hood Wilderness. BHA me

provided sportsmens voices for protecting th

Wilderness in Washington, protecting the Ocades from BLM logging, and working to con

Clearwater country, Montanas Rocky Moun

Wyoming Range and Colorados roadless are

members spoke up against ATV abuse in New

California, Pennsylvania and beyond.

This all came at very little cost to their gr

BHA has received informal staff support from

Unlimited, Resource Media and Theodore R

Conservation Partnership and a few conserva

$10,000 to $15,000. In fact, larger conservati

have hired BHA volunteers as professional e

Founding BHA Chairman Mike Beagle, w

works for Trout Unlimited in Oregon, says it

for BHA to maintain an independent sportsm

it is not dismissed as too green. For examplsigning on letters with green groups, but freq

heads conservation sign-on letters from out

mists and hook-and-bullet groups. While BH

ecological values, it does so through the prism

important shing waters and game habitat.


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28

Build

hasa f

a

And when it comes to educating members of Congress,

other elected ofcials or their staff about wilderness and

backcountry issues, BHA believes its important that they

hear about it from the hunters and anglers who spend time

out there. Hearing a pro-backcountry message from hunters

and anglers makes a real impact on those decision-makers

because it is coming from people who are generally more

conservative than environmentalists or other backcountry

advocates.

BHA has a potential to be a much more effective voice

for conservation, particularly in Western, conservative and

rural regions where hunting and shing are part of the

cultural fabric. However, BHA faces serious hurdles. It

rides on the shoulders of volunteers who have limited time,

energy and expertise to build BHA to its potential. The

groups leaders believe the organization has substantialroom for growth, but that growing numbers puts increasing

pressure on the core of dedicated volunteers. It is raising

funds to meet that challenge.

[Disclosure: Building Strategic Alliances co-author Ben

Long serves on the board of Backcountry Hunters &

Anglers.]

hOSPITaLFOOD

It doesnt matter if youre a patient, visiting a patient or on staff. Ea

hospital food has a reputation thats on par with going to the dentis

using a Porta-Potty: Sometimes you just have to do itbut youd ra

Its good to know, though, that for the past ve years, San

Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility

(SFPSR) and Community Alliance with Family Farmers

(CAFF) have been working to do something about it.

SFPSR starts from the premise that food purchasing

decisions made by large institutions like hospitals and other

health care facilities not only affect the health of the

people consuming food in their facilities, [but] can have aprofound effect on the environment and the direction of

U.S. agricultural practices. When health care facilities buy

fresh, locally grown meats, fruits, vegetables and dairy

products from farms using ecologically sound practices,

they are providing healthier, tastier food while promoting a

cleaner environment and supporting the local economy.

Meanwhile, CAFF has been working with school

nutrition directors for more than a decade to get healthy,

locally grown fruits and vegetables into California school

cafeterias. So, it was only natural for CAFF to agree to work

with SFPSR on its Healthier Foods in Health Care cam-

paign.

Natural, perhaps, but getting big health care facilities

that are used to buying most of their food from a single

food distributor to agree to buy from local farmers isnt easy.Nor is it easy to nd enough local, s ustainably grown and

raised products to meet the needs of those large institutions.

Although its Healthier Food in Health C

operates in the marketplace rather than in a l

public policy arena, the same organizing and o

that are fundamental in other coalition effort

to success for SFPSR here as well. In fact, the

straight-up community organizing approach f

with four key elements:

Research:1. learning about the industry an

the key stakeholders.

RelationshipBuilding:2. getting to know

stakeholders and earning their trust.

EngagingthePartners:3. having a menu o

things the partners can do and expanding

the relationship develops.

MaintainingtheRelationship:4. setting u

mechanism for information sharing and e

among the partners.

RESEARCH

While SFPSR had extensive relationships

professionals in the Bay Area, they didnt hav

background with the hospital food industry. S

step was conducting extensive research, inclu


17/18

30

Identifying the stakeholdersfood suppliers (farmers;ranchers; distribution companies like Sysco and US

Foods), food purchasers (food service directors at the

hospitals), and public health professionals; and

Learning about the different models for purchasing and

preparing food, which included contracting and

procurement, menu development, and marketing.

Getting to know the ins and outs of both the hospital

food service industry and the sustainable farming commu-

nity in northern California was essential to overcoming the

legal, logistical and institutional barriers to getting healthy,

local, sustainable grown and raised foods onto the menus at

Bay Area hospitals.

RELATIONSHIp BUILDING

Once they had identied the key stakeholders, SFPSR

began meeting with food service directors and other

hospital administrators at the larger facilities in the area.

Not only did it help SFPSR learn about the hospital food

industry, but building personal relationships and trust with

the food service directors was essential to moving forward

with the program. Moreover, according to Co-Director

Lucia Sayre, those meetings had to be done in person, not

through phone calls or email, because at the beginning the

food service directors didnt know anything about SFPSR.

The only way to get to know them and earn their trust was

through face-to-face meetings to talk about what the

hospitals were doing and how local sourcing would help.

Similarly, SFPSR didnt have any relationships with

farmers and ranchers in northern California. Nor did it have

the time or resources to build and develop those relation-

ships individually. Enter CAFF and its 26 years of working

in Californias agriculture community. By working with

CAFF, SFPSR was able to identify local sources of sustain-

ably grown and raised meats, fruits, vegetables and dairy

products that could be made available to the hospitalswithin the hospitals existing budgets.

ENGAGING THE pARTNERS

In most large businesses, organizations or bureaucra-

cies, there is resistance to change. So, it is not surprising

that, initially, many of the hospital food service directors

felt like they were going out on a limb if they pushed for

locally sourced, sustainably grown foods. That is why

SFPSR and CAFF developed a menu of simple, easy-to-

implement options from which the food service directors

could choose. Things like:

Signing the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge (see

below). The Pledge is a centerpiece of Health Care

Without Harms national Healthy Food in Health Care

campaign, for which SFPSR is the lead California

organizer. More than 250 health care facilities in the

United States have signed the pledge, including these 15

in California:

Bakerseld Memorial Hospital1.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian2.

John Muir Health System3.

John Muir Health, Concord Campus4.

John Muir Health, Walnut Creek Campus5.

John Muir Behavioral Health Center6.

Kaiser Permanente7.

Sharp Coronado Hospital8.

WHERES THE BEEF?

One of the potential barriers to gettinglocally sourced meats, produce and dairyproducts onto hospital menus is procure-ment contracts with the big food distribu-tors like U.S. Foods and Sysco. Thosecontracts typically require the hospitals topurchase at least 85 percent of their foodthrough the distributor. SFPSR nowworks with the hospital food servicedirectors to get language into those con-tracts specifying certain amounts oflocally sourced, sustainably producedfood. If the distributor cant provide it,the hospital is able to seek it from othersources irrespective of any other mini-mum food purchase requirements in thedistributors contract.

St. Joseph Health System9.

Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital10.

Petaluma Valley Hospital11.

St. Jude Medical Center12.

St. Joseph Hospital13.

St. Mary Medical Center14.

UCSF Medical Center15.

Buying hormone- and antibiotic-free mil

Committing to buying 10 percent of its p

local farms that use ecologically sustainab

Promoting the hospitals commitment tosustainable, local foods in its patient mea

rias through tray cards, menus and point

signs. Both CAFF and SFPSR help the h

those promotional materials.


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32

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325 Pacic Avenue, Third Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

415-397-5000

www.resource-media.org

Photo Credits:Page 22 Left photo courtesy of EarthCorps

Page 22 Right Photo of Little Costilla Peak in thVidal Dai Baker

Page 24 Right photo courtesy Harlin Savage

Page 25 Left photo courtesy of Nick Hall

Page 26 Left photo courtesy of Harlin Savage

Page 31 Right photo courtesy of EarthCorps

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